iPad Pro Can we finally say an iPad can replace a laptop/MacBook?

[PlayUltimate]

Almost ten years after iPad was announced?

iPad OS has become its own thing, and it isn't – and was never meant to be – macOS.

You can do many of the same tasks, if that's what you care about. But it looks different, feels different, makes you think differently about everything from your approach to how you handle the details.

It's like having a choice between two planets to live on (or the choice to love on both and commute between them). But it's less than ever like living on a planet versus a moon.

Fully agree. There are many things that can be done on an iPad that cannot be practically done on a Mac. People are not filming or taking pictures with a Mac. People are generally not drawing with a Mac. Many people will sit on the couch and read on an iPad. They are different products, that serve different needs. There just happens to be some points of intersection.

 

[riptidewahoo]

Exactly this. Subjective based upon use case/needs. For some an iPad may be all that they'll need, for others perhaps a laptop/computer will tick more boxes.

I'm in the camp where an iPad makes an excellent supplemental device for my computers/laptops but it will never be the end-all device for me based on some of the more technical or intensive needs that I have for some workflows.

I've tried using an iPad as a supplemental device several times and for me it really just doesn't do anything better than my iPhone 11 Pro Max or 13" MacBook Pro. I've probably bought and sold 7 or 8 iPads over the years, constantly thinking I can fit it into my workflow, and it always just ends up feeling like a neglected, redundant device. I've never once felt "man, this process is just so much better on an iPad". It's more like "it's cool that I accomplished this thing, but it took way longer than it should"

iPads are great for a very niche group of light computing folks in my opinion, in the education world, artists with the Pencil, or for specific use cases like point of sale kiosks, office check ins, that kind of thing. But I think the ship has sailed on tablets becoming PC killers in the mainstream. Almost all productivity apps are worse on the iPad (if a version even exists).

 

[Abazigal]

I will say that for me, a combination of the 5k iMac and the 11” iPad Pro has largely negated the need for a laptop.

Granted, I do have a windows laptop issued by my workplace, but I mainly use it for printing documents and accessing network files, and working on Google docs. The funny thing about the windows tablet is that because its form factor is essentially that of a laptop with a broken hinge, this basically destroys all lap-ability. Like during a meeting in the room where you have 5-6 Teachers huddled over a small table, which makes it extremely difficult to use any of their laptops, while I am there with my ipad nestled comfortably on my lap.

An ipad is also better for giving feedback on platforms such as mentimeter or Google forms. I just scan the QR code using my ipad camera, then type in my response using the Smart Keyboard, which is faster, and allows me to give longer, more in-dept responses.

I also notice that an ipad doesn’t quite carry the same negative connotation as a smartphone. If someone is using their smartphone during a meeting, we all assume he is surfing Facebook or browsing the web or otherwise distracted (and to be fair, they probably are). Conversely, turn on your laptop and everyone assumes you are doing your own work during meeting time.

Whereas an iPad Pro (especially with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil attached on top) gives the impression that you are busy taking notes, even though I may well be doing something else. Or in the very least, I can run notes alongside reddit or Tapatalk or Tweetbot in a pinch, with iMessage or telegram on top so I can hold a backchannel conversation with my other colleagues.

For the main bulk of my work, I typically wait till I am at home where I have the glorious 5k display to work off on, as well as prepare the teaching material that I will use on my ipad in school.

I will say that the ipad possesses a degree of flexibility and versatility I don’t get in laptops, especially when used in scenarios where a conventional laptop isn’t as useful. It’s basically a larger smartphone, but in a world that is increasingly going mobile, this feels more like a strength with each passing day than a liability.

 

[subjonas]

OK, I'll admit, I don't know anything about the economics of app development - I thought that there was a bigger market in iOS/iPadOS compared to macOS - or at least it seems everything is going more mobile, so the future is not on the desktop. At least from what I can see, the younger the generation, the more mobile oriented they are. Many don't even have desktops and live exclusively on their phones.

So, could you please explain what you mean when you write:

I don’t see application feature parity really happening until developers have enough financial motivation—i.e. they can sell iPad apps to enough people with enough profit. But there are several large hurdles in the way of that.

What are the hurdles? Isn't mobile where the money is in app development? Honestly, I'm puzzled by this whole thing - there are tons of useless apps, but when it comes to key functionality apps, such as word processing, there really are not that many options, and they're all pretty poor. Now there are exceptions, like some drawing apps and a few others, but most productivity apps seem subpar to me, and the spectrum of choices very poor. BWDIK.

I think it’s a mistake to clump iOS with ipadOS in this situation. The iPhone market is huge, but we’re talking about the iPad market, which is much smaller. How it measures up against the Mac market, I couldn’t tell you. But regardless, as others have said, the key difference is people expect to pay money for Mac productivity applications—not so much for iPad. Even the name itself “app” implies a truncated version of the fully-featured application. Mac applications are called “apps” now too, but nevertheless, it’s already engrained in people’s minds that iPad apps are free or cheap.

Other issues lie in the iOS App Store. The 30% cut, lack of flexibility for free trials and upgrade pricing, finicky review process—these are all reasons why a lot of Mac developers avoid the Mac App Store and opt to sell to customers directly. With iPad apps, they can only sell through the iOS App Store and are therefore completely under Apple’s control.

There may be technical reasons as well. ipadOS is a much more locked down OS than macOS. I’m not too knowledgable myself, but I imagine a developer might run into issues trying to make an iPad app do everything a Mac app does, especially when it comes to files and background processes.

 

[George Dawes]

Not without full mouse support

The tip of my finger is far too inaccurate

 

[The Samurai]

I dont do any of the following:
game
audio work
video editing

i do:
work with a lot of documents, pdfs and excel
file management
squarespace websites
whatsapp

of the things i do, the iPad is not reliable or better capable of handling my needs.

heres how:
work with a lot of documents, pdfs and excel - the reality is that the Mac is superior in this department.
file management - once again, a full file system vs a basic one
squarespace websites - i can do most of it from safari but some aspects dont work.
whatsapp - no dedicated app and although it works via safari, the mac is superior.

 

[oldmacs]

file management - once again, a full file system vs a basic one

Files on iPad0S never ceases to disappoint me. Search in files is so much worse than search in finder ie you still can't search within documents from iPad OS spotlight like you can on MacOS, search isn't organised by file type, can't 'show file/folder in enclosed folder' quick view isn't as good as on the Mac (ie if you have a non downloaded from iCloud file (which because of the useless implantation is pretty much every file) you have to wait for it to download 'quick view it' where as on the Mac you get a low res preview in quick look if it isn't downloaded.

 

[pinheadlarry93]

For me, the iPad has definitely replaced all personal computing needs.

I have a windows work laptop and an HVD to handle any heavy stuff related to work, but any and everything personal can be handled by my iPad.

Heck, even with the work stuff, since I also have an HVD, I can access my windows computer from my iPad when I need to get some work done in a pinch.

I sold my 2011 MBP from college because there is now zero use for it. My iPad is my sole personal computer.

 

[fireboy60013]

My boyfriend and I have the first generation iPad Pro 9.7 and we have not touched our laptops in weeks.

 

[cola79]

For me it has replaced the Computer/Laptop already. I don’t use a computer for work, so basically i use it for browsing, pictures, streaming and once in a while for word processing. Since i got a wireless printer, i haven’t touched my laptop anymore. I can do all that with my ipad, without an annoying fan and sitting uncomfortable on a desk.

I also must admit that i think computers are way too expensive for what they offer. Besides gaming they can’t do much better than a tablet, at least not that it would justify the price. I rather buy an iPad all 4-5 years for 300 and that’s it.

A couple of days ago i bought a desktop Computer thinking it would be a nice Christmas gift for myself. I returned it the next day because it really doesn’t feel right anymore. Like a thing of the past. I don’t want to be bound to a desk and office chair in my private life, that feels really unnatural nowadays.

Edit:

I want to add that i just bought a bluetooth mouse and keyboard to try the new support feature. What can i say, now it really replaces a computer for everyday tasks like browsing and so on.

Of course you have to learn a little because it is not exactly like you would use a computer, but it is very convenient, because with a right click you open a menu. And the rest is basically like you would use your finger, what makes scrolling through webpages much easier.

I first wanted to buy a small laptop for this, now i saved a few hundred dollars and use my ipad as a small pc if needed. Even games are possible with shadow cloud computing or maybe stadia, when a controller is connected.

 

[1rottenapple]

So with the new ipadOS are we at a point for most people that an iPad can replace a MacBook or laptop. Wanted to get some opinions.

It has for me. My 2017 MacBook Pro sits and loses charge since it’s not used for weeks at a time. I for one don’t forsee upgrading my MacBook Pro. Maybe when it becomes unusable but I’ll likely buy used. I love the iPad. Best purchase of 2018.

 

[akash.nu]

It has for me. My 2017 MacBook Pro sits and loses charge since it’s not used for weeks at a time. I for one don’t forsee upgrading my MacBook Pro. Maybe when it becomes unusable but I’ll likely buy used. I love the iPad. Best purchase of 2018.

I can do most of my admin works on an iPad but when it comes to the professional side of things, there’s no chance in hell can I get away from Mac.

 

[Seanm87]

I can do most things on my iPad but any time I need to do a substantial amount of typing I need to do it on my MacBook Air. I tried the iPad smart keyboard but couldn't get on with it and the digital keyboard is ok for short stuff but awkward as hell for doing any significant typing.

 

[secretk]

I can do most things on my iPad but any time I need to do a substantial amount of typing I need to do it on my MacBook Air. I tried the iPad smart keyboard but couldn't get on with it and the digital keyboard is ok for short stuff but awkward as hell for doing any significant typing.

I feel the same way . Yes I can type on such keyboard, but it is far slower and less efficient. Every time I do it I just feel prompted to go to the laptop to use the bigger keyboard.

 

[stanza.richi]

I bought a cheap bluetooth keyboard by Elecom here in Japan and I find it very comfortable for long session typing 👍🏻

 

[secretk]

I bought a cheap bluetooth keyboard by Elecom here in Japan and I find it very comfortable for long session typing 👍🏻

Is it a keyboard case or just separate keyboard? I am asking because if it is the latter then I don't see it practical enough to bring it with me when not at home. And when I am at home as I have already the more comfortable keyboard of the laptop I don't see the point buying another one for the iPad.

It is definitely about preference this one.

 

[stanza.richi]

Is it a keyboard case or just separate keyboard? I am asking because if it is the latter then I don't see it practical enough to bring it with me when not at home. And when I am at home as I have already the more comfortable keyboard of the laptop I don't see the point buying another one for the iPad.

It is definitely about preference this one.

Separate keyboard. Apple Smart Keyboard is too expensive and too bulky for me (and not comfortable for stand use watching films etc.). I may need to have a physical keyboard when I'm at work or at my girlfriend's home to write papers (medical resident), but not when I'm studying from pdf books or similar. And I don't want to bring both MacBook and iPad every day in my bag. That's why I preferred a separate one

 

[secretk]

Separate keyboard. Apple Smart Keyboard is too expensive and too bulky for me (and not comfortable for stand use watching films etc.). I may need to have a physical keyboard when I'm at work or at my girlfriend's home to write papers (medical resident), but not when I'm studying from pdf books or similar. And I don't want to bring both MacBook and iPad every day in my bag. That's why I preferred a separate one

Makes sense for your use case . I tend to bring the iPad with me every day for work and also during the weekends so I wanted to have keyboard case on it. I do use the iPad for reading sometimes but for now I can make it work with the case. I also needed some stand for the rare cases when I watch movies on it. In general I prefer to watch movies on my laptop but when travelling sometimes I bring only the iPad with me. In those rare cases I would watch movies there and I need stand because I don't want to hold it the whole time.

 

[akash.nu]

Makes sense for your use case . I tend to bring the iPad with me every day for work and also during the weekends so I wanted to have keyboard case on it. I do use the iPad for reading sometimes but for now I can make it work with the case. I also needed some stand for the rare cases when I watch movies on it. In general I prefer to watch movies on my laptop but when travelling sometimes I bring only the iPad with me. In those rare cases I would watch movies there and I need stand because I don't want to hold it the whole time.

I tried keyboard cases but found them to be too cramped for my liking & it also makes the iPad bulkier. Granted I don’t type much on the iPad but buying the keyboard case helped me decide that I’m absolutely fine with the onscreen keyboard for my usage.

 

[secretk]

I tried keyboard cases but found them to be too cramped for my liking & it also makes the iPad bulkier. Granted I don’t type much on the iPad but buying the keyboard case helped me decide that I’m absolutely fine with the onscreen keyboard for my usage.

The keyboard cases do make the iPad bulkier. Unfortunately for me I type enough to need one. I cannot use the on screen keyboard. Makes me go insane. It is really slow and inefficient.

I use sometimes the iPad when in vacation for work email or work chat. In those cases I tend to type quite a lot to warrant the need for physical keyboard. I also tend to post in few boards like this one and I use the iPad for those kind of activities .

On the other hand I rarely use my iPad in bed and I never hold it. This is why I am not that bothered by the additional bulk.

 

[prospervic]

Can an iPad replace a laptop?
No, it cannot. Unless for your particular needs, it can.

Can an iPad replace a laptop?
Yes, it can. Unless for your particular needs, it cannot.

 

[ericwn]

Can an iPad replace a laptop?
No, it cannot. Unless for your particular needs, it can.

Can an iPad replace a laptop?
Yes, it can. Unless for your particular needs, it cannot.

And of course vice versa for laptops replacing iPads.

 

[one more]

There is another sticky mega-thread going on the same topic, perhaps merge them in?

iPad as a laptop replacement

yep we know how it is designed roughly speaking. But the iPad already does 2 windows and it already hooks up to monitors. IN both cases though less than ideal. :) And the iPad not too long ago got a very rudimentary file system as well. It just needs to go from clunky to elegant in these...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[ignatius345]

Yes for sure.
And it is clear that the future of Mac is iPad.

If they ever put a good OS on it, sure. But iPadOS is still very badly showing its iOS roots. iPad power users have all kinds of little tricks and automations to make it work for them, but out of the box it's just kludgy as hell still.

But to zoom out a minute, there's absolutely no reason for this false dichotomy. If someone wants to use an iPad as their primary computer then more power to them. I'll be over here using a Mac that is finally on equal footing with an M-series processor and all the advantages that brings.

 

[spiderman0616]

If they ever put a good OS on it, sure. But iPadOS is still very badly showing its iOS roots. iPad power users have all kinds of little tricks and automations to make it work for them, but out of the box it's just kludgy as hell still.

But to zoom out a minute, there's absolutely no reason for this false dichotomy. If someone wants to use an iPad as their primary computer then more power to them. I'll be over here using a Mac that is finally on equal footing with an M-series processor and all the advantages that brings.

A few months ago, I would not have agreed with this, and I really really really hate to say this, but you are dead on accurate. I always enjoyed working from my iPad Pro, but I'm enjoying my M1 MacBook Air exponentially more. It acts like a Mac, but performs like an iPad. Couldn't care less about the no touch screen, because I used my iPad Pro like a laptop most of the time anyway. (Though the Serif apps are a lot more fun and easy to use with Apple Pencil.)